


Secret Love

by angelwingsandironrings



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Happy Ending, M/M, Masks, Masquerade, Secret Relationship, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 19:34:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1953492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelwingsandironrings/pseuds/angelwingsandironrings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean has been keeping Castiel a secret from his family. When Sam and Jess throw a masquerade engagement party, Dean sees it as the perfect opportunity to be with Cas, and still keep him a secret. But for how long?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Love

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by Hunter Hayes' song called, "Secret Love." When I heard the song, it made me think of the masquerade scene of "Romeo and Juliet," but then I thought about Dean and Cas, and this little thing was created.  
> I don't own any of these characters, and no copyright infringement is intended. :)

When Dean had originally gotten the invitation to his brother’s odd engagement party, he was thrilled for his little brother, Sam, and his bride-to-be, Jessica. When he read the fine print, however, he immediately called his brother.

“Really, Sammy, a masquerade ball engagement party? Why do you guys want to do something so fancy over a simple party?”

“Jess and I wanted to do something a little different. We do ‘simple’ every time we all get together, and we figured it would be cool to try something new. It’ll be fun, Dean, just trust me,” Sam replied.

“I do, I do,” Dean reassured his brother. “I was just curious. I’m sure it will be fun. We can go get the things we’ll need in a few weeks together, sound good?”

“Yeah, I know this little shop downtown that we can get suits and masks,” Sam replied. He sounded excited, and that made Dean smile.

His brother’s engagement wasn’t a surprise. Anyone could see by the way Sam looked at Jess that he was head-over-heels in love with the girl. They’d met a few years ago in college, and had been almost inseparable ever since. Dean took one look at Sammy’s face the first time he’d met Jess, and he knew this girl was family. So when Sam had finally gotten the courage to pop the question, Dean was not surprised in the least.

“Cool Sam. Hey, I gotta go. I have a few things to take care of, but I’ll talk to you in a few days, okay?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, Dean, that’s fine. Talk to you in a few days.” The call ended.

While the idea of a fancy ball with masks made Dean anxious, the more he thought about it, he realized it would be a nice way he and Cas could go out together, without having to worry about what other people thought.

Dean had met Castiel about a year prior, at the grocery store of all places, while trying to find good produce. Cas had helped Dean, and they quickly became friends. After a few months, Dean realized he had stronger feelings for Cas than the “just friends” thing he had thought, but he didn’t think Cas felt anything for him, so he kept his feelings to himself. That is, until one drunken night when he told Cas everything. Cas had surprised Dean by kissing him. They’d been together ever since. The only problem was that Dean hadn’t introduced Cas to the rest of his family yet.

They knew about Cas and didn’t care that Dean was gay, they were just waiting for him to be ready to introduce Cas to the family. Dean was sure Cas was “the one,” but by the time he realized it when he had asked Cas to move in with him, Sammy was in the midst of preparing for his engagement. Dean didn’t want to steal his thunder, so he was waiting until after the engagement party. The only thing was that he wanted to take Cas with him to Sammy’s party.

A masquerade was the perfect way to do that.

He couldn’t wait to tell Cas.

A couple hours later, when Cas finally got home, Dean explained to him the engagement party’s theme. Cas too was surprised.  
“I did not think your brother was in to these types of gatherings.”

“He’s usually not, but I guess he and Jess thought it would be interesting to try something new. Plus, how many times are they going to announce their engagement, right?” he explained to Cas as he got dinner ready. Cas sat at the counter and watched Dean.

“I guess you’re right. Sounds like you’ll have a lot of fun at this party,” Cas said. Dean turned away from Cas to stir something in a pot and smiled to himself. He wanted to surprise Cas next weekend with the mask he was planning on buying. After he and Sam had gotten off the phone, he had started looking online for masks at the shop Sam had mentioned. He found two he was going to buy: one for himself and one for Cas. However, he was not going to tell Cas that he’d be joining Dean that evening quite yet.

“Hopefully. I’ll probably just make the rounds and then come home.”

“That’s probably a good idea. I know how much you don’t really like those types of social situations,” Cas said as he got up to help Dean in the kitchen. Dean knew how lucky he was to have Cas, especially since he was so understanding about Dean’s family. Anyone else probably would have left after almost a year of not being included in their boyfriend’s family, especially one as close as Dean’s family. Dean smiled as he looked at Cas.

“What?” Cas asked when he caught Dean staring.

“Nothing. I just love you,” Dean replied as he leaned in to kiss Cas’ lips.

“I love you too, you big goofball,” Cas chuckled after they broke away.

\-----------------

The following weekend, Dean was at the little shop in town with Sam, who was still trying to decide between a dark gray mask and a pale purple mask.

“Sammy, just pick something already,” Dean sighed, exasperated after 15 minutes of Sam still trying to decide.

“I can’t decide which one I like better! You pick for me,” Sam said as he held up both to his face.

Dean grabbed a pale purple tie of the rack that he was standing next to. “The gray one, and then you can wear this tie as a compromise,” Dean replied as he held up the tie.

“Thanks Dean,” Sam sighed in relief.

“No problem little bro. Now, let’s go pay for this stuff and go get lunch. I’m starving!” Dean grabbed up his stuff, which included two suits—one for him and one for Cas, though he told Sam he just couldn’t decide between the two—and the masks he had found online.

Dean had found himself a jet black suit that he would wear to Sam’s party fairly quickly after they’d gotten to the store. On his way to the wall of masks, he found a navy blue suit that would look perfect on Cas. When Sam looked at him with a raised eyebrow in question, Dean had shrugged him off explaining he liked them both and would choose one later. Sam didn’t even seem to notice they were two different sizes. When Dean grabbed both masks off the wall, Sam had looked at Dean in question again. But Dean just explained that the royal blue mask would be worn with the blue suit, and that the emerald green mask would be worn with the black suit. That seemed to be enough explanation for Sam.

The mask that Dean had chosen for Cas would match perfectly with his eyes. It was a beautiful royal blue, with black stitching around the eye-holes and trim of the mask. A few blue and black feathers stood up on the top. The one he’d chosen for himself was an emerald green, with silver stitching around the eyes and trim. Only green feathers stood up on the top. He couldn’t wait to show Cas.

Sam and Dean spent the rest of the day discussing plans for the party. Apparently, this shin-dig was being held at Jess’ parents’ mansion outside the city. According to Sam, this place was huge.

“I swear dude, we could fit our apartment and your house into this place and still have room to move around. It’s that big!” Sam explained as he shoved another fry into his mouth. Dean just chuckled at his brother.

Later that afternoon when Dean got home from his day with his brother, he was met to Cas lounging on the couch reading a book. When he put his keys on the side table, Cas looked up to ask, “How was shopping?”

“It was good. Sam’s gonna look awesome at this thing next weekend.” Dean smiled to himself a little before he looked back to Cas. “Hey, you wanna see what I bought?”

“Sure Dean. What all did you get?”

Dean’s face split into a huge grin as he lifted the bags from the ground and walked over to grab Cas’ hand. He pulled him up and dragged him into their bedroom. He sat Cas on the end of the bed with the garment bag laying next to him and the bag holding the masks on the ground near Cas’ feet. When Cas was staring up at Dean patiently, Dean unzipped the garment bag to reveal the black suit. He pulled it out and hung it up on the back of the door and grabbed the green mask from the bag to put on the hook, then turned to Cas expectantly. “Well, what do you think?”

“It looks good, Dean. The mask is beautiful. It’ll really bring out your eyes” Cas smiled up at Dean again, who blushed a little.  
“Okay, close your eyes,” Dean told Cas, who complied with a confused expression on his face. Dean pulled out the second suit and laid it on top of the garment bag next to Cas, then bent down to pull the blue mask out of the bag and set it on top of the suit for Cas.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” Dean said with a smile on his face. Cas still looked confused as he looked from Dean to the suit sitting next to him, and then back to Dean.

“What is this for Dean?” Cas asked with his brow furrowed.

Dean leaned forward to place his hands on the bed on either side of Cas’ hips, bringing their lips within inches apart. Castiel’s eyes fluttered shut as he breathed in Dean’s scent and brought his hands up to rest on Dean’s chest as he explained, “It’s for you, Cas. I want you to come to Sammy’s party with me. The masquerade is a way for us to be out together, but I get to keep you a secret for a little longer.” Dean rested his forehead against his boyfriend’s as he continued, “I want to wait until after Sam and Jess’ engagement party, then I’m going to show you off to my family. Make them know you’re all mine.”

Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s shoulders and brought him down to meet his lips. He poured all the love he felt for Dean into the kiss, to let him know that he was completely okay with this plan, especially if it meant seeing Dean in a suit while wearing that emerald mask. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, and Dean moved his hands from the bed to Cas’ hips as he slid his tongue along Cas’ bottom lip, seeking entrance.

A low growl emanated from Dean’s chest as Cas opened up for him. The kiss was passionate and fierce, the two men only pulling away when they needed to breathe, both panting heavily. Dean grabbed the suit and mask still laying on the bed and moved to hang them up on the back of the door with his own. When he turned back around to face Cas, he had already moved up the bed towards the headboard, laying back resting up on his elbows.

Dean joined him, placing his hands on either side of Cas and he leaned down to kiss him again, their bodies slotted together. This kiss was slower and gentler than the last, both savoring the feel of the other’s lips on their own. When they broke away again, Dean looked into Cas’ lust-blown eyes and whispered, “I can’t wait to see you in that mask.” Cas surged up to meet Dean’s lips once more, and they spent the rest of the night wrapped up in each other.

\-----------------

Sam and Jess’ engagement party arrived the next weekend. Dean was a combination of nervous anxiety and excitement. He couldn’t wait to take Cas out and be in the same room as his family, but he was afraid he might have to ignore him at certain times in the evening so his family wouldn’t find out about him yet. He didn’t want to take away from Sam’s night.

He was busy getting dressed, completely lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize he’d put his tie on backwards until Cas came over to fix it for him.

“Everything will be fine, Dean. You just need to relax. Whatever happens tonight, just promise me that you won’t worry about ignoring me. I know that you have an obligation to your family first this evening before me,” Cas said as he fixed Dean’s tie.

Dean raised an eyebrow at that. “Is it that easy to read me?”

“I know you, Dean. I know how you worry. Trust me, I’ll be fine,” Cas smiled back as he let go of Dean’s tie when he’d finished with it.

Dean finally looked Cas up and down now that his attention was centered. “Damn, baby, you look amazing. I knew that blue would work on you.”

Cas blushed at the sudden attention. “Thank you, Dean. You look very handsome as well.” Dean chuckled as he leaned in to give Cas a chaste kiss. When they broke apart, Dean finally looked at himself in the mirror to make sure his tie was straight. Finding that Cas had done a perfect job, they left their bedroom to head out to the car, grabbing keys, wallets, and masks on their way out the door.

They drove to the party in amicable silence, occasionally stealing glances towards each other. At a red light, Cas reached across the seat and grabbed Dean’s hand. When Dean looked over, Cas was smiling his shy smile, usually reserved for Dean, and squeezed his hand.

They pulled up to the front of the house—Sam wasn’t kidding, this place really was huge!—and sat in the car for a few minutes. Dean grabbed the bag that was holding the masks from the backseat. He handed the blue one to Cas, then put his own on. When he looked over to his passenger, he smiled and asked, “Ready?”

“Yes Dean. Everything will be fine, I promise,” Cas smiled over at Dean before kissing him, placing his hand on Dean’s cheek.

“Okay, then let’s do this,” Dean said after they pulled away from each other with a smile on his face. They had agreed that Dean would go in first, and then Cas would follow in a few minutes after. When Dean stepped into the main hall, he noticed that this place was even bigger than it looked from the outside. There was a huge staircase in the middle of the floor that led up to a huge second floor where the band was located. There was intricate black iron railing that outlined the staircase and balcony. There were several marble statues near the back of the room. Dean could see a set of floor-to-ceiling—in this case, the bottom of the second story—windows that looked out over a garden and French doors that would lead out to the patio. People were dancing all around the floor in fine suits and beautiful ball gowns.

Dean located his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law off to the left of the staircase, and made his way over to them. He passed people wearing some of the most beautiful masks he’d ever seen—some that looked like they had real diamonds or jewels in them, some that looked like they had fine silks and satins, and some that had the deepest colors to them that seemed to make the wearer’s eyes stand out against the material. He also noted that everyone’s mask either matched their ties or their dresses.  
“Hey Dean! You finally made it. I see you went with the black and green,” Sam smiled and hugged his brother. Dean took in his brother’s appearance, noticing the gray mask and purple tie he’d helped pick out. Jess was next in line to hug Dean. She was wearing a pale purple—like Sam’s tie—dress that went down to her knees. Her mask matched the color of her dress, with silver trim, with purple and light gray feathers sticking up on the top.

“You weren’t kidding, Sammy, this place is amazing,” Dean said after Jess let him go. He looked around the room again before looking back at Sam to ask, “Who all is here?”

“Mom dragged Dad over to the dance floor about fifteen minutes ago, Bobby and Ellen were grabbing something to drink last I saw them, and Jo and Ash are still on their way. Jess’ parents are making the rounds, friends from college and the office are scattered about, and some of Jess’ childhood friends are here as well,” Sam checked off his mental list of all that were in attendance.

“My parents also invited some family friends and people from their country club. I don’t even know everybody that’s here,” Jess added.

“Wow, sounds like you two will be busy making the rounds tonight,” Dean chuckled.

“Yeah, well, we’re not the only ones. You still have to make your presence known too, dude,” Sam explained, trying to stifle a giggle when Dean’s face turned to a slight frown.

“Right, I should probably talk to Mom and Dad…but after they’re done doing whatever that is,” Dean looked at his parents on the dance floor, noting his dad was doing “the robot,” or what his father affectionately called his “amazing dancing skills.” When his parents spotted him, they smiled and waved at the trio. Dean shuddered a little.

The song ended, and their parents decided it would be a good time to come talk to their kids. Mary was wearing a silver silk dress. It was simple and elegant, just like her. She was wearing a mask the same color as her dress, but with black trim and feathers. John was wearing a black suit, but a silver tie to match Mary’s dress. His mask was a simple black with silver trim and feathers. Dean noted that they had most likely color-coordinated to match each other.

Dean moved to Sam’s other side so that he could look over the party while talking to his family. He caught a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye near the door. Cas had finally come into the house and was now getting a drink. Dean smiled to himself, but his attention was back on his family the moment Mary wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

“You look so handsome sweetheart,” she complimented him with a smile.

“Thanks Mom, you look really nice too,” he smiled back at her.

John hugged Dean next. “It’s good to see you out and about enjoying yourself. How have things been these last few weeks?” They talked for an hour catching up on the events of the prior few weeks. Dean mentioned how things were going at the office, and then listened in on the other conversations. John discussing how things were going at the garage, Mary talking about some renovations they were planning on making to the kitchen, Sam and Jess discussing house hunting. Dean added to the conversation when it was expected of him, but kept glancing around the room when he could, finding Cas every time. When Cas would feel Dean’s eyes on him, he’d look to Dean and smile, before going back to conversing with some of Jess’ friends or Sam’s old college buddies.

Dean made pleasantries when Bobby and Ellen joined the conversation, then again when Jo and Ash finally showed up. He continued to steal glances at Cas whenever he got the chance. Cas would always be staring back with a look in his eye that Dean couldn’t quite place with the mask on. He excused himself from his family to get a drink, making his way over to the table near Cas, who had one hand holding a champagne flute, while his other hand rested near his side. As Dean passed by, he brushed his fingertips against Cas’ hand, sending a small shiver down the other man’s spine. The entire exchange was too quick for anyone but the couple to notice, and Dean continued to the table to get a glass of champagne.

For the next half hour, Dean made small talk with some of the other guests that he knew, occasionally finding excuses to come close to Cas or to pass by him in a way that would allow Dean to touch his hand. Sometimes, he would catch himself staring at the way the suit hugged Cas’ muscular frame just right, or the way Cas’ eyes stood out against the mask. He would notice a small shiver of want pulse up his spine when he heard Cas laugh at something. Then his cheeks would grow warm with a blush when someone brought his attention back to his conversation.

At one point, Jo had said something to Dean that he’d almost completely missed, and she called him on it. “Dean, have you even been listening to what I’ve said?” She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Jo. What were you saying about work?” He tried to get back to reality. Jo frowned at him, but continued with her story anyway. They talked for another fifteen minutes before Ash joined them, all hyped up about the website he planned to design for John’s garage. When there was a break in the conversation, Dean excused himself to head over to the bar, where Cas was standing.

“Hello Dean,” Cas said with a smile as Dean walked up next to him.

“Hey Cas, how are you enjoying the party?” Dean asked as he leaned up against the bar next to him.

“This is a lot of fun. I’m glad that you brought me.” Cas scooted a little closer to Dean so that their elbows were touching on the bar. He leaned in closer to whisper, “However, I can’t wait until we get home and I see you in nothing but the mask.” Dean nearly choked on his drink. He looked over at Cas who wore an innocent smile. Dean knew it was anything but.

“Meet me in the garden in five minutes,” Dean practically growled out before he finished his drink.

Dean left Cas at the bar and headed outside, giving Sam an “I need some fresh air,” when his brother passed by with a question on his face. When Cas stepped outside a few minutes later, Dean pulled him into the shadows and pinned him against the wall with his hands above his head. Dean slipped one of his legs between Cas’, leaving practically no room between the two. Dean leaned in so his lips were almost touching Cas’ and said, “Been watching you all night, wanting to touch and kiss you, then you go and say that at the bar.” Dean’s lips connected to Castiel’s in a passionate kiss, making him moan low in his throat.

His tongue dragged along Cas’ bottom lip, seeking entrance, which Cas granted all too willingly, moaning when Dean finally obliged. Dean could feel Cas getting hard and pressed his leg forward a little, earning a gasp from the man under him. Cas broke the kiss to breathe, but Dean kept his lips attached to him, kissing along his jaw, then down his neck to find the sensitive spot behind his ear, sucking just a little.

“Dean…”

Dean looked up at Cas, and then leaned down to kiss his lips again. This kiss was much gentler than the first, and Dean pulled his leg away just a little, receiving a whine from Cas.

“We can’t do this here. God, as much as I want to, not now.” He let go of Cas’ hands and rested them on his hips, leaning down to leave a chaste kiss on his lips.

“You’re right. But we WILL pick this back up later,” Cas explained when they broke away from each other. They were both flushed and breathing heavily, deciding that they needed a few minutes before they went back to the party.

When they were sure they could go back in without drawing any suspicion, Dean smiled at Cas, kissed his temple, then walked back into the party looking for his parents as a distraction. When he walked up to them, his mother was talking to Jess, smiling from ear to ear.

“I’m just so excited for the both of you! Your careers are taking off, then the apartment, and now this. Sammy could not have found a better woman.” Jess blushed under Mary’s praise.

“Oh Mom, leave the poor girl alone,” Dean winked at Jess, making her giggle. John couldn’t stifle his chuckle when Mary turned to Dean with a glare that didn’t reach her eyes.

“And when are we going to meet this mysterious Castiel you’ve been hiding young man?” she asked.

Dean went stiff before he answered. “I told you Mom, I’m waiting for the right—“ Dean was cut off when he saw Sam come up behind Jess. He was not alone.

“Hey guys! Meet Castiel. I was just talking with him, and thought I should bring him over,” Sam exclaimed when he joined the group. He had a huge shit-eating grin on his face as Cas wondered over to Dean’s side, looking very much like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

“How did you know, Sammy?” Dean asked with a slight panic in his voice.

“Dean, I’m not an idiot. You’ve been staring at him all night, you haven’t been more than thirty feet away from him since he walked in, and I watched him follow you outside. Plus, I was with you when you bought his outfit,” Sam reasoned. He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Dean Winchester! You bring your boyfriend to Sam’s engagement party, and you have the nerve to hide him from us?” Mary was not amused with her son. Dean looked around his family as they all stared at him waiting for an explanation. Luckily, Jess stepped into his rescue.

“Mary, you already met him,” she said quietly. Dean was really confused now. She explained as she looked at Dean, “We all have. Each of us had a conversation with him earlier, we just didn’t know exactly who he was. Now we do.”

John was the first to surprise everyone by hugging Cas tightly and saying, “Welcome to the family, Castiel.”  
Cas looked at Dean over John’s shoulder with wide eyes, but Dean was just as surprised as he was. When John let go, Mary hugged him just as tight, but pulled back quickly to look at her son, hands resting on Cas’ shoulders and say, “Why the secrecy?”

Dean sighed before explaining, “We didn’t want to make it a big deal and take the attention away from Sam and Jess. If I brought it up today, you guys would have hammered Cas with questions, and that wouldn’t have been fair to them.”

Sam punched Dean in the shoulder. “Ow, Sammy, what was that for?”

“Dean, that was unnecessary. He’s a part of your life, and you don’t need to keep him a secret. From the way you talk about him, he’s already family,” Sam leveled. He then turned to Castiel and hugged him just as tight as his parents had, then stepped back. Dean looked at his giant of a brother and smiled, then wrapped his arms around Sam in a fierce hug.

“Thank you, Sammy,” he said when he broke away. He looked at the rest of his family, then looked at Cas and took his hand, entwining their fingers, and smiled amazed he could do this in front of his family finally. “I think we’re going to head home now, but come over to the house next weekend, and we’ll do a barbeque.”

His family hugged them both goodbye and muttered “safe journey” to each other. Dean and Cas both congratulated the couple again, then left the party, still holding hands.

When they got out to the car, Dean paused at the passenger side door, looking at Cas who had a confused expression on his face. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ middle and leaned in to kiss him gently, then said, “Thank you for being my secret love these last few months and being patient with me. I know that couldn’t have been easy. But what Sammy said was true: You are family to me, and I love you.”

Cas just smiled at Dean and replied, “I love you too, Dean.” He kissed Dean softly before they got in the car.

They went home to spend the evening proving their love for each other.


End file.
